Samuel Fosso

by Christine Barthe, Samuel Fosso

A mini-monograph on the work of Samuel Fosso, the renowned Cameroon-born Nigerian photographer.  Samuel Fosso is one of Central Africa’s leading contemporary photographers, whose playful and perceptive work investigates Pan-African identity and history through the use of portraiture. Fosso found his path to art-making through his early work as a commercial portrait photographer, using his leftover film to capture self-portraits against well-considered backdrops and incorporating pose, costume, and props. Renowned for his “autoportraits”―styling himself and others as characters from popular culture or politics―Fosso reflects the world around him through a distinct aesthetic that has at times defied Nigerian dictatorial decree. Fosso’s work is now held in museum collections such as the Museum of Modern Art and the Tate, among many others, and he was the recipient of the Prince Claus Award of the Netherlands. Samuel Fosso , a new title in the renowned Photofile series, exhibits Fosso’s photographic opus through sixty full-page reproductions in a handsome and collectible pocket format.  60 illustrations

Genres: Photography

144 pages, Paperback

Published September 27, 2022

Reviews

[Elisa Pierandrei · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cinquanta anni fa, esattamente nel settembre del 1975, questo straordinario artista riusciva ad aprire il suo primo studio da fotografo, Studio Photo National, a Bangui nella Repubblica Centrafricana, dove si era trasferito con lo zio. Aveva solo 13 anni. Ottimo libro per celebrarne la carriera.